Missing out on the early Monterey Car Week action? We have you covered

Monterey Car Week officially kicked off Tuesday with the Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue and those that missed out can take a short virtual tour of the event.

Hundreds of cars lined the streets of downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, California on a slightly overcast, cool day. Numerous marques were represented, as this video shows.

“There’s everything from Triumphs and MGs all the way up to Dinos and all the way up to the rarified air of multimillion-dollar Ferraris,” ClassicCars.com editor Andy Reid said.

“It’s such a neat mix and it really talks about what the whole hobby is about. This is the most social event of the week. The best part of the hobby is the people you meet in it.”

And there were a lot of people to meet. Take John Solana, for instance, who brought his 1957 23-window Volkswagen Bus to the concours. He said he bought the vehicle because it was one of the few that had European trim with American electrical work.

His was a Deluxe, meaning it had an odometer, a ragtop and an apparently rare ambulance step.

“I’ve never seen another one,” Solana said of the step in the interview below. “That’s the only one I’ve ever seen.”

Reid said the inclusiveness of the free event makes it really special, as it attracts a wide range of cars and people alike. His favorite group was the Ferrari Dinos, as he used to own one.

“A lot of concours wouldn’t give Dinos this kind of a spectacle outside of the Concorso Italiano, but this concours has brought the Dino to be an important car and they recognize it for what it is,” he said.

Be sure to follow ClassicCars.com on both Facebook and Instagram to get live looks at Monterey Car Week all weeklong.